Roger Boy

Popularity: #651 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ROH-jer //ˈrɒdʒər//

Origin: Germanic; Old French

Meaning: Famous spear; renowned warrior

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Roger has its roots in the Germanic elements "hrod," meaning "fame," and "ger," meaning "spear." This combination gives the name the literal meaning of "famous spear." The name was introduced into England by the Normans after the Conquest of 1066, where it was rendered as "Roger" in Old French. The Old French form was derived from the earlier Germanic forms, such as Hrothgar, which were prevalent in various Germanic languages before being adopted into Latin as "Rogerius." The transition into English solidified the name's presence in the language and culture of medieval England.

Historically, Roger has been borne by several notable figures, including Roger of Salisbury, a prominent medieval bishop and statesman in the 12th century, and Roger Bacon, a 13th-century philosopher and Franciscan friar known for his contributions to the scientific method. The name also appears in various historical texts, including the works of Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century, where it was used in a variety of contexts, reflecting its integration into English society.

Additionally, the name was popularized through the influence of saints, such as Saint Roger, a 12th-century hermit and founder of the Order of the Servants of Mary. Culturally, Roger has been associated with qualities of strength and leadership, often symbolizing a warrior-like spirit due to its etymological roots.

The name has endured through centuries, partly due to its association with nobility and chivalry in medieval literature. Diminutive forms such as "Rog" or "Rodge" have also emerged, reflecting a more familiar or affectionate usage in various contexts.

Overall, the name Roger carries a rich historical and cultural significance, embodying themes of valor and renown that have allowed it to persist through the ages.

Famous people named Roger

In this section, you will find notable people named Roger. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Roger who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Roger who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Roger Federer is a professional tennis player best known for winning 20 Grand Slam singles titles, holding the world No. 1 ranking for a record 310 weeks, and his rivalry with Rafael Nadal.

Roger Moore is an actor best known for his role as James Bond in seven films, The Saint, and The Persuaders!.

Roger Ebert was a film critic best known for his television show Siskel & Ebert, his film reviews, and winning the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

Roger Daltrey is a singer and actor best known as the lead vocalist of The Who, and for his role in the film Tommy.

Roger Waters is a musician best known as a co-founder of Pink Floyd, and for his work on the albums The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon.

Roger Clemens is a former professional baseball pitcher best known for his time with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and winning seven Cy Young Awards.

Roger Ailes was a media consultant best known for founding Fox News and serving as its CEO.

Roger Penrose is a physicist and mathematician best known for his work in general relativity, black holes, and winning the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Roger Rabbit is a fictional character best known as the protagonist of the animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Roger B. Taney was a Chief Justice of the United States best known for the Dred Scott decision.

Fictional characters named Roger

The following list of fictional characters named Roger is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Roger Rabbit is a fictional character from the animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. He is a cartoon character who seeks to clear his name after being accused of murder.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Roger, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

RobertRichardRalphRonaldRudyRaymond

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Roger. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

RoderickRonanRoryReedRubenRafaelRoccoRiley

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Roger was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Roger has ranked as high as #54 nationally, which occurred in 1953, and has been most popular in Ohio, California, New York, Illinois, and Michigan.

In the past 5 years the name Roger has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Roger is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Roger was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Roger.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 297 297 0
2024 341 341 0
2023 344 344 0
2022 342 342 0
2021 388 388 0
2020 375 375 0
2019 362 362 0
2018 413 413 0
2017 417 417 0
2016 409 409 0
2015 481 481 0
2014 477 477 0
2013 476 476 0
2012 459 459 0
2011 477 477 0
2010 504 504 0
2009 550 550 0
2008 598 598 0
2007 582 582 0
2006 594 594 0
2005 644 644 0
2004 630 630 0
2003 664 664 0
2002 676 676 0
2001 719 719 0
2000 703 703 0
1999 730 730 0
1998 769 769 0
1997 804 804 0
1996 957 957 0
1995 1,001 1,001 0
1994 1,071 1,071 0
1993 1,138 1,132 6
1992 1,440 1,440 0
1991 1,294 1,294 0
1990 1,463 1,456 7
1989 1,486 1,477 9
1988 1,594 1,578 16
1987 1,570 1,559 11
1986 1,626 1,608 18
1985 1,720 1,706 14
1984 1,726 1,718 8
1983 1,882 1,870 12
1982 2,178 2,167 11
1981 2,259 2,244 15
1980 2,088 2,072 16
1979 2,042 2,024 18
1978 2,158 2,143 15
1977 2,319 2,313 6
1976 2,485 2,465 20
1975 2,628 2,617 11
1974 2,769 2,754 15
1973 3,175 3,155 20
1972 3,559 3,531 28
1971 4,161 4,129 32
1970 4,623 4,583 40
1969 4,933 4,905 28
1968 5,215 5,183 32
1967 5,765 5,723 42
1966 6,319 6,296 23
1965 6,459 6,429 30
1964 7,410 7,389 21
1963 7,772 7,743 29
1962 9,111 9,079 32
1961 9,691 9,652 39
1960 9,076 9,041 35
1959 8,823 8,794 29
1958 8,391 8,368 23
1957 9,894 9,866 28
1956 10,179 10,153 26
1955 11,003 10,979 24
1954 11,750 11,717 33
1953 13,200 13,172 28
1952 12,171 12,132 39
1951 12,450 12,425 25
1950 12,579 12,552 27
1949 12,855 12,821 34
1948 12,842 12,818 24
1947 12,798 12,760 38
1946 12,442 12,411 31
1945 10,608 10,571 37
1944 10,608 10,581 27
1943 10,816 10,773 43
1942 9,206 9,174 32
1941 8,117 8,095 22
1940 7,625 7,598 27
1939 7,183 7,155 28
1938 6,568 6,551 17
1937 5,734 5,713 21
1936 5,725 5,702 23
1935 5,167 5,152 15
1934 4,785 4,766 19
1933 3,933 3,917 16
1932 3,811 3,788 23
1931 3,651 3,625 26
1930 3,270 3,246 24
1929 2,963 2,928 35
1928 2,799 2,774 25
1927 2,434 2,408 26
1926 2,280 2,260 20
1925 2,112 2,099 13
1924 2,068 2,054 14
1923 1,901 1,888 13
1922 1,862 1,848 14
1921 1,810 1,803 7
1920 1,699 1,691 8
1919 1,309 1,298 11
1918 1,433 1,426 7
1917 1,259 1,249 10
1916 1,094 1,087 7
1915 1,091 1,086 5
1914 816 816 0
1913 565 565 0
1912 469 464 5
1911 241 241 0
1910 176 176 0
1909 128 128 0
1908 115 115 0
1907 127 127 0
1906 94 94 0
1905 73 73 0
1904 91 91 0
1903 86 86 0
1902 73 73 0
1901 60 60 0
1900 81 81 0
1899 67 67 0
1898 74 74 0
1897 58 58 0
1896 70 70 0
1895 69 69 0
1894 58 58 0
1893 49 49 0
1892 55 55 0
1891 55 55 0
1890 52 52 0
1889 49 49 0
1888 47 47 0
1887 39 39 0
1886 32 32 0
1885 27 27 0
1884 39 39 0
1883 23 23 0
1882 32 32 0
1881 29 29 0
1880 25 25 0

Top States for Roger (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 49
18%
CA 41
15%
NY 19
7%
FL 18
7%
PA 13
5%
WA 11
4%
IL 11
4%
TN 10
4%
VA 10
4%
GA 10
4%
MD 9
3%
WI 9
3%
MI 8
3%
OH 8
3%
NJ 7
3%
MN 7
3%
CO 7
3%
IN 6
2%
UT 6
2%
NC 6
2%
LA 5
2%